EDO has been awarded a contract from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems to develop a weapon carriage and release system for the MQ-9 Predator B unmanned aircraft system (UAS). The initial system design and development contract is valued at $1.4 million.
GA-ASI is the prime contractor for the successful Predator UAS. The MQ-1 Predator has
been operational since 1995 and has flown thousands of missions in support of NATO, UN and US operations. In 2005, GA-ASI received a contract from the USAF to acquire the MQ-9 “Hunter- Killer” version of the aircraft. The MQ-9 is the next generation of the Predator, whose military role is expected to expand considerably over the next few years.
"The Predator UAS Series is clearly an important focus of future defense capabilities," said James M. Smith, EDO’s chief executive officer. "We are very pleased to be working with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems to solve the engineering challenges needed to provide improved weapons carriage and release capabilities for Predator B. We believe that the Predator is one of the most promising and proven UAS platforms."
The current planned total production of the MQ-9 Predator B is well over 100 aircraft. The MQ-9 has significantly higher performance than the original Predator. It has an operational ceiling of 50,000 feet, a maximum internal payload of 800 pounds, and an external payload of 3,000 pounds. EDO Corporation designs and manufactures a diverse range of products for defense, intelligence, and commercial markets, and provides related engineering and professional services.
